


The Witching Hour

by Paper_Crane_Song



Category: Star Trek: Enterprise
Genre: Angst, Episode Tag, Episode: s03e19 Damage, Friendship, Gen, Missing Scene
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-31
Updated: 2016-10-31
Packaged: 2018-08-28 02:31:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 766
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8427811
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Paper_Crane_Song/pseuds/Paper_Crane_Song
Summary: Missing scene to Damage. Malcolm is still not happy with the Captain's decision to take the Illyrian warp coil, and he opens his mind freely to Trip. It just so happens that Archer overhears him.





	

**Author's Note:**

> In watching Enterprise all the way through for the first time recently, I've loved observing the character progression of Reed. In Season 1, we see his discomfort with the Captain's style of command, and in season 2's _Minefield_ , he actually vocalises it: 
> 
> _REED: Bridge protocols have become somewhat lax. Too many people offering opinions. We're here to carry out your orders, sir. You're the Captain._  
>  ARCHER: What's the point of having a senior staff if they just sit around with their mouths shut? I'm glad they have opinions. I rely on them. 
> 
> And then subsequently, as Reed is learning to become the kind of officer the Captain wants - offering opinions, fraternising with superior officers etc. - then Archer, after the attack on earth, is learning to become the very Captain he doesn't want to be - discouraging opinions and free speech, emphasising his authority. We see this clash more and more between the two characters in season 3, and it's a little unpleasant to watch, especially as Archer is so much taller than Reed and seems to use his height to intimidate Reed in at least a couple of scenes. To his credit, Reed always stands his ground, but then he always seems upset after each encounter.
> 
>  _Damage_ seems to be a turning point in their relationship. In the following episode, we get Malcolm going out on the hull, risking his life, and that brief, lovely scene of the Captain kneeling down and helping Malcolm out of his (probably sweaty, hot and gross) EV suit. In subsequent episodes the Captain also seems generally less 'shouty' towards him, too. 
> 
> So that's what prompted me to write this story, exploring the change that might have happened in between episodes. I hope you enjoy it. Your thoughts and feedback would be great!

The Captain haunted the ship, pacing each deck in turn. The crew didn't see him. Why would they? Face blackened with soot, uniform covered in dust and grime, he looked like one of them.

They were doing repairs on E deck when he came across them. Trip, Malcolm. His trusted officers. And yet he did not want them to look upon him.

In the Armoury earlier, when he'd announced his intention to board the Illyrian ship, Malcolm had visibly recoiled from him. He had become something else, some _other,_ beyond the pale.

He meant to steal away, unnoticed - and then he overheard his name. They were talking about him. About what he had done.

And so he melted into the shadows, forced himself to listen. Because he'd silenced his Armoury officer one too many times, and Malcolm deserved to have his say.

And he deserved to hear it. 

 

* * *

 

“A little higher,” Trip said.

 He angled the torch up a fraction to illuminate the panel Trip was working on.

 “It just seems that lately, every time I try to voice my concerns...” He let his words hang in the air, hard-pressed how to come off without sounding petty.

 Thankfully though, Trip caught his drift. “I thought that's the kind of Captain you wanted to serve under,” he said above the hum of the hyperspanner.

 He laughed humourlessly. “Believe me, Commander, the irony isn't lost on me.” The panel came loose, and he helped Trip lift it and set it to one side.

 “Hand me that probe,” Trip said, and he passed it to him. Trip climbed into the conduit.

 “I suppose I've been re-evaluating things since the Macos came onboard,” he said to Trip's back. “Like that little incident with the insectazoid hatchery we found.”

 “Yeah, that was a doozy all right.” Trip's voice was muffled.

 His mouth twitched at his friend's choice of words. “It was more than that. It was bloody frightening. Major Hayes and the Macos went about blindly following orders even though the Captain clearly wasn't in his right mind. Things could have gotten a lot nastier than they did.”

“But they didn't.”

“Still -”

“The microwelder,” Trip said, holding out his hand.

 He passed it to Trip. And then, in a rush, he said, “Today I followed orders even though I knew it was wrong.”

“Malcolm - ”

“I nearly took out their weapons. I was _this_ close, Trip. If T'Pol hadn't found that power juncture then I would have had no choice but to disable their weapon systems. It would have been a death sentence for them.”

“You don't know that - ”

 “Come on, you know as well as I do the consequences of our actions. No amount of  'treacly optimism' is going to change things this time.” He stopped, breathing heavily, and in the silence sparks hissed and flared from the console.

 In an effort to compose himself, he folded his arms and looked down at the floor. “You should have said something,” he said, quietly.

 “What?”

 “To the Captain. He listens to you.”

 “And say what?” came the reply from inside the compartment.

He held up his hands in frustration. “I don't know, how about trying to reopen negotiations with the Illyrians, or asking to simply _borrow_ their warp coil and handing over half a dozen crewmen as collateral?"

“Don't you think the Captain thought about all that already?”

“We should have done _something - ”_

And then Trip climbed out of the compartment to face him, eyes blazing. “Look, just cause you're feeling guilty doesn't give you the right to shift the blame onto me.”

 

* * *

 

Out of sight as he was, he could hear the heat behind his Chief Engineer's words. Maybe Malcolm's comments had hit a little too close to home.

And maybe Trip wasn't as comfortable with Archer's actions as he'd seemed earlier.

He rested his aching head against the bulkhead. He couldn't help but picture the Illyrian Captain. _Why are you doing this?_

He heard Trip speak again, his voice softer now.

“Look, I'm no moralist - ”

“Clearly,” came Malcolm's swift retort.

“- and we can debate right and wrong until the cows come home. But the difference between us and the Macos is that they follow orders and we follow the man giving those orders. So I guess it comes down to this - do you trust the Captain or not?"

He didn't hear his tactical officer's reply, and perhaps it was for the best. Weary and heartsick as he was, he didn't think he could take a damning disavowal from Malcolm right now.

Besides, he'd find out the answer soon enough.

 

_Finis_

 

 


End file.
